


Besotted

by Genie60



Series: Poldark Series 3-This and That [14]
Category: Poldark (TV 2015)
Genre: AU, F/M, Flirting, Jealousy, Marriage, S3 filler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 06:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11594916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genie60/pseuds/Genie60
Summary: S3 Ep 7 filler--after Dwight and Caroline's wedding reception and Ross's unthinking comment about men not being besotted with his wife. What if he realized he'd put his foot in it?





	Besotted

**Author's Note:**

> Quick, fluffy and not really edited but that one scene bothered me. I took a chance on an alternative. So excuse any mistakes.

Ross turned around as he continued to undress, looking at his wife.  Something in her eyes betrayed her. She looked hurt.  An emotion he hadn’t seen in a long while and for the life of him, he didn’t know why it appeared now.  They had just come from Dwight and Caroline’s wedding reception where a certain Lt had been a guest as well and who, according to Demelza, had been paying her more attention than perhaps was proper.  Ross dismissed it because he saw nothing out of the ordinary. In truth, he admitted to not seeing anything.  Yet his wife’s tone and now disappointed look led him to believe that maybe he missed something.  When Demelza said she might have been mistaken, he responded that maybe every man wasn’t besotted with her.  Ross closed his eyes as the words repeated in his head.  He knew then that Demelza was deflated at his comment that perhaps she wasn’t as desirable as she thought. Surely she had to know that it wasn’t the case where he was concerned.  More than ever before he desired and loved her. If anyone was besotted with her, it was he.

Was that it?  Did Demelza want him to know that someone else was paying attention to her? Did she want him to do the same?  Why should she? They’ve been so happy lately that she should know exactly how he felt.  Shouldn’t she?  Maybe she did but maybe she needed to be told so as well.  Thinking back on the night he did see that Lt. Armitage always seemed to be around when Demelza was alone.  He didn’t think much of it at the time, but now it irked him.  It didn’t seem that they did much more than talk.  So why did she want Ross to notice?  Was there something more?  He had finished undressing and slipped into the bed where Demelza had turned on her side facing away from him.  Ross lay on his back, going over the evening again and determined that must be it. His wife didn’t think he cared.  Telling her now would seem as though he were trying to save face but he had to try.  Communication with them came in waves.  On certain things, they spoke continually: the mine, her brothers, the children, the farm.  But on others, such as their feelings for one another, words were halted and thoughts left silent.  He almost lost her because of that and he was not going to let them get to that place again. 

“Demelza? Are you awake?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said softly.

He turned on his side and slid his hand around her waist, still tiny after three children.  Kissing her should he said,” I’m sorry about what I said early about not every man being besotted with you.  Because in truth, I would rather none were. Except for me.”

Demelza twisted her head to look at him and saw regret in his eyes.

“Ross. I know you are.  And I love that. But tonight, for the first time, some other man, who was not a friend, someone new, seemed to be interested in me.  Did you not see that? Or did you not care?”

Ross lifted up to look at her, unbelieving what she was saying and thinking.

“Are you saying there should be something to care about?” he asked suddenly.  “Was Armitage inappropriate?” 

Now Ross was extremely interested in what she was telling him.  Rolling to her side to face him, Demelza gave him a wry smile.

“No Ross, he was not inappropriate.  He was sweet and kind.  And sad.  Something about him made me sad too,” she replied.

Ross was not sure how to handle this. This was a side to his wife he’d never encountered before. She seemed to have her head turned by another man and she seemed to like it.  Flattery was not easily accepted by her so there must be another element to this Armitage relationship that has her acting this way.

“Why sad, my love?”

“I don’t know Ross but I felt a something from him…I can’t explain.  Perhaps I was imagining it,“ she said with resignation.

“I’m sure you did not. For what man in his right mind would not be taken with you?  I just pray you have the good sense to not let them get too far to where you break their hearts,” Ross answered. 

He was trying to make light of it but something in the way she spoke shook him. 

Demelza put her hand to his face, touching the faded scar and brushed her nose against his.

“I doubt I can break any man’s heart, Ross,” she whispered before kissing him.

“That’s where you’re wrong my dear.  There is one heart you most certainly can break.”

She searched his face for some indication of what he meant hoping that he wasn’t referring to Lt. Armitage.

“Who?”

“Mine. You’ve had it to take care of for more years than I can count.  I don’t know how to live without you tending it.”

Not expecting such a confession, Demelza’s eyes filled with tears as she rose up to kiss him gently.

“Then I will do my best to keep it guarded.  If you will do the same.”

“Always my love.  Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't expect this to happen but it did. Not sure how much more fluff there is to play with in the final episodes...


End file.
